Only the Strong
by Shartae
Summary: Star Ocean 3: Albel Nox's thought's on the weak and the stong and how this seems to fit in with the group he's currently traveling with. (Oneshot)


Disclaimer: I don't own Star Ocean: Till the End of Time. Do I need to say anything else to keep you off my case?

I decided that I had to write something for this game after finally getting off Elicoor II. This does have a few spoilers if you haven't gotten through disk one of the game, but nothing too serious. Just a few small hints at what happens in the game.

**Only the Strong...**

Albel had survived in his lifetime with the motto: 'Only the strong get anywhere in life.' It was true, if you weren't strong in Airyglyph then you were walked over, even the nobles for all their extraneous idolization of their king were weaklings in their own right.

They couldn't lift a sword much less walk beyond the gates of the castle to the uncharted territories beyond, infested with monsters and thugs willing to cut your throat even for the small pocket change you carried. They were weak, that's why King Airyglyph XIII had so little trouble pushing them off their pedestals at the top of the kingdom. They really should have seen it coming...

Albel had watched it unfold; the way the nobles scurried into the streets suddenly beggars looking for a place to sleep. He had listened to them curse the name of the king before he himself was dispatched to silence them.

Then there were the citizens of Airyglyph. Not soldiers, but common civilians who knew nothing of the secrets that lay beyond the castle walls. Before they even realized it they were embedded deep in a war that would tear apart the planet.

Albel didn't know if it was weakness so much as ignorance that made them so oblivious to the facts, but really he didn't care. He had wanted the war; the thrill of the battlefield and it had come to him without any trouble. He hadn't even done anything to bring it to pass, but still it had been waiting for him.

On the battlefield only the strong survived and he had found out quickly that he was one of the strong. The moments as his sword tore through flesh, quickly felling several dozen warriors in a matter of minutes; he always knew that he would never be able to go back. After killing so many people their blood was forever stained on his hands, but he had promised himself never to feel regrets after his fathers untimely death during his Accession of the Flame ceremony. After all he hadn't gained the nickname 'Albel the Wicked' for nothing.

Only the strong survive...

But then how could he explain the boy and his group? So easily had they defeated him at the mines and then as if to add the final blow the boy had insulted him and called him weak...but he wasn't weak, he had always made certain that he was one step ahead of the others. He refused to be pushed in with the ignorant civilians and the foolish nobles.

Of course as if to strengthen that insult, Woltar had adamantly pushed him into helping them tame Crosell, not that he had had much choice, hanging around in the dungeons of the castle by the chains wrapped around his wrists.

Woltar seemed to have a terrible sense of humor at times. Albel cursed his name often, but really it was just because though the man was old, he was still strong enough to humiliate Albel and this only served to spark the flames of hatred in the younger warrior.

Fayt as the boy who now lead him called himself was clumsy, gave up easily even in the most simplest situations, burned out quickly on the battlefield, was oblivious to his surroundings on a battlefield, clung to the little girl Sophia like a life line, was overemotional, and wasn't the smartest young man in the world.

Albel wondered how someone with so many downfalls could swing a sword without tripping over his own two feet. He often times watched to make sure that the boy reached the enemy without catching his foot on a rock as he could almost picture the event happening every time they fought something.

He still couldn't quite picture the boy saving the world from total destruction. It was a little too much for him to try to imagine and he had long since decided to stop trying else his mind shut down from the complexity of the situation. Oh, if only the universe knew of its crisis...

But over time Albel realized that he began to respect the boy for all his downfalls. He didn't know when this respect had formed, he figured it had probably started when he had asked the boy if he hated him, but it didn't really matter, by the time he had jumped in to save the boy and his friends at his old territory it had already been there nudging him on to destroy the transport jammer as they called it.

Of course he hadn't been expecting the strange weapons that shot lights to come after him. Not that he would have regretted dying there that day. He was prepared to die if need be. After all only the Strong survive...right?

He had woken not to death though, but to life and a strange new environment, a spaceship. Opportunity had come knocking at his door again, much like the war. He hadn't even contemplated the consequences of saving the boy and his group, but now with the war between Aquaria and Airyglyph over, the best thing to do was find battle elsewhere in the large universe that had suddenly opened up to Albel.

That was why he was here now, sitting with his back against the chair, in his room on the Diplo, in front of a strange monitor that displayed several planets in the Theta system. Whatever that meant. He didn't care so long as the thing didn't start making noises.

Albel still wasn't quite used to this strange place with its metal walls and long corridors. Cliff had a great time joking about him being unable to move through the ship without looking like he was about to fall over, but Albel couldn't help it really. He could feel the ship humming under his feet and it was an unnerving sensation that made him wonder just how they were staying upright. It only got worse when he looked out a window, that's why he preferred staying in the room he had been given.

No doubt there would be no end to Cliff's good humor should he get wind of Albel's unease. The older man had a tendency of badgering away about anything and everything, as if Albel cared about a Pangalactic Federation. If they got in his way all he had to do was kill them. Be it Gods, demons, monsters, or humans, all the maggots would die.

Only the strong survived, but what was strength really? Was it the ability to kill, to fight?

:Beep: "We've arrived at our destination, everyone gather on the bridge," Maria's voice came through the monitor interrupting Albel's reverie.

Albel sighed in frustration as he stood up and began moving towards the door. He had gotten used to the thing opening by itself, but he hadn't been prepared for the three people waiting outside his door.

His eyes moved from the blue haired boy at the front of the group, to Cliff standing behind him a head taller than the boy, to the Aquarian warrior standing a little away from the group looking like as if she'd rather be somewhere else.

"Hmph, I don't need an escort party to get to the bridge," Albel scuffed, his eyes narrowing suspiciously at the group.

"We know that, but since your room was on the way we thought we'd come by before heading up," Fayt replied.

"Yeah, so since we've got everybody now let's head up," Cliff said moving away along with Nel towards the stairs.

Albel smirked, he knew from what Cliff had just said, that they hadn't expected him to show up. "You maggots waste my time," he murmured before following after them with Fayt behind him.

"Don't fall over, buddy," Cliff called back as Albel swayed a little too far to the left and almost crashed into the wall.

Damn that Klausian has good eyes; Albel couldn't help but admit as he took the railing along the stairs with his good hand and began climbing. He finally made it to the door of the bridge and the group walked through.

"Are you ready?" Maria asked standing up from her seat.

"It's about time," Cliff said catching his fist in his hand. Albel also couldn't help but smile as he looked down at their destination.

Perhaps they were all strong in their own way, even the stupid little girl who was now clutching at Fayts' arm.

But was he right that only the Strong survive? Only the Strong could get anywhere in life? What about these people who now surrounded him? These people some had been forced here by destiny others had come of their own free will like him. Did it really matter?

Only the Strong...

"Let's go," Albel said as he walked away towards the exit.

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Yep, that's it...not a great ending, but hey it's close. I haven't finished SO3 yet so maybe I'll write some more on Albel once I do.

Oh and the thing with him looking like he's about to fall over on the ship. I noticed after the incident where he becomes a permanent member of your party during the cutscene it looks like he's having trouble staying on his feet. So blame that for this silly idea!


End file.
